Guides · Duty of care waste transfer note
Waste transfer note
A waste transfer note is the record of a handover of waste: who produced it, who took it away, what it was, how much there was and where it went. Every business in England that hands commercial waste to someone else needs one, and both sides keep a copy for two years.
Ask about the annual note serviceWhat is a waste transfer note?
It's a receipt for waste changing hands. It isn't a licence or a certificate, and it doesn't prove anything was recycled. The business handing the waste over and the carrier taking it both sign it, and both keep a copy. You'll also hear it called a WTN or a duty of care note.
Is a waste transfer notice the same thing?
Yes. "Waste transfer notice" is a common slip for waste transfer note. The official name is transfer note, and that's the heading to look for on your paperwork.
Waste transfer note requirements
A valid note has to show:
- a description of the waste in plain words, with its List of Waste code (often called the EWC code)
- how it's contained, whether that's loose, sacks, bins or a skip
- how much there is, as a number of sacks or bins or a weight
- your name and address, and the address the waste came from if that's different
- the collector's name, address and waste carrier registration number
- the date and place of the handover
- signatures from both sides
Some common codes: mixed general waste is 20 03 01, paper and cardboard packaging is 15 01 01 and glass bottles and jars are 15 01 07. A note without a carrier registration number on it isn't doing its job. Ours is CBDU466346, and you can check any carrier's number on the Environment Agency public register: who can legally transport commercial waste.
Waste transfer notes and your duty of care
The duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act sits with the business that produced the waste, not the company that took it away, and it doesn't stop when the van pulls off. If your waste turns up fly-tipped and is traced back to you, having paid someone to take it isn't a defence. A transfer note for that load is. The duty is separate from any contract: do I legally need a commercial waste contract?
How to fill out a waste transfer note
The standard form has four sections, A to D.
- In section A, describe the waste in plain words, for example "mixed general waste from a café", add its List of Waste code, tick how it's contained and write how much there is.
- In section B, put your name, your business name, address and postcode, your SIC code and your council, and tick that you produced the waste. Signing the form also confirms you've applied the waste hierarchy.
- Section C is the collector's name, company, address and carrier registration number. If that number is missing, don't sign.
- Section D is the collection address, the date and time of the handover, and both signatures.
Most collectors fill in their part and send it over for you to check and sign. Read section A before you sign, because a vague description is the most common fault. Here's a filled-in example for a café, with every field explained: waste transfer note example (PDF).
Annual waste transfer note
You don't need a new note for every collection. Where the same waste goes from the same address to the same carrier on a regular schedule, one note covers a year of collections against that description. That's how most recurring bag and bin accounts work: one note a year, renewed on its anniversary, rather than a sheet of paper every Tuesday. We run this as a £65 + VAT yearly service, issued and kept on file for you.
Waste transfer note template and printed copies
The Environment Agency publishes a free waste transfer note you can fill in on screen and print: duty of care waste transfer note template on GOV.UK. You don't have to use that form. Any format will do as long as it carries everything listed above, which is why most carriers issue their own. If you'd rather keep paper, print the form or use a carbonless pad. The one we buy is this A4 triplicate waste transfer note pad. It follows the current Environment Agency layout, and each set makes three copies, so nobody has to photocopy anything.
Waste transfer note for food waste
Food waste goes on its own note, because it's a separate stream with its own code: 20 01 08, biodegradable kitchen and canteen waste. Businesses in England with 10 or more full-time staff have had to keep food waste apart from general waste since 31 March 2025. Smaller businesses follow from 31 March 2027. More on the separation rules: what the new recycling rules mean for your business.
How long to keep waste transfer notes
Two years, for both sides. Paper in a drawer is fine, and so is a PDF, as long as you can produce it when someone asks. Most often that's a client or landlord audit wanting twelve months of notes at a week's notice. Next comes a tender with an environmental section. Least often, and much more expensive, it's a fly-tipping investigation. If your collector holds the notes and isn't answering the phone, you have a problem.
Are waste transfer notes going digital?
Gradually. Defra and the Environment Agency are bringing in a digital waste tracking service. Sites that receive waste must use it from October 2026 in England and Wales. The government's timetable moves carriers like us onto it from October 2027. A business that only produces waste and hands it to a collector isn't a receiving site or a carrier, so the service puts no registration duty on you, and your two-year duty to keep records doesn't change. For now the paper or PDF transfer note carries on alongside the digital service. Dates, the £26 charge and the claims worth checking: what is digital waste tracking?
See commercial waste collectionNeed your transfer notes sorted?
Ask about the annual transfer note service and we'll tell you what it covers. Call 0207 101 4003 or use the contact form.
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